A signature collection campaign has been launched on the public initiative platform ManaBalss.lv to reduce the number of members of the Saeima from 100 to 70.
Ričards Bumbērs is listed as the representative of the initiative. He proposes amending Article 5 of the Constitution to stipulate that the Saeima consists of 70 representatives of the people instead of the current 100. The author also wants the Saeima Election Law to be adjusted accordingly, with the distribution of seats among electoral constituencies adapted proportionally to the new number while preserving a democratic and proportional electoral system.
The author of the initiative says that the figure of 70 MPs was chosen to maintain approximately the same ratio of residents per MP as Latvia had in 1993, taking into account the decline in the country’s population. At that time, Latvia had around 2.6 million residents and 100 members of parliament. At the beginning of 2026, however, the population stood at 1.845 million, while the number of MPs remained at 100, the initiative states.
Among the benefits of reducing the number of MPs,
the author cites greater individual responsibility and visibility of parliamentarians,
potentially less fragmentation and easier coalition-building, as well as faster and more focused parliamentary work.
The initiative also argues that a smaller parliament would make it easier to ensure that parliamentary committees are staffed by MPs with expertise in the relevant areas. According to the author, fewer MPs could also help strengthen ties with voters and increase engagement with Latvia’s regions.
Budget savings are cited as another argument. The Saeima’s 2026 budget is planned at 40.28 million euros, of which approximately 31 million euros is earmarked for remuneration of MPs and Saeima employees.
Bumbērs notes that reducing the number of MPs from 100 to 70 would save approximately 1.5 million euros annually in the basic salaries of 30 MPs alone, based on 2026 remuneration levels. The initiative states that additional savings could come from MPs’ assistants’ salaries, compensation payments and other expenses directly linked to the number of parliamentarians.
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